Hampi played a huge role in the mythology of 'Ramayana'. Kishkindha, in Hampi, is said to be the actual place of Hanuman’s birth. It was here that Rama’s biggest devotee and one of the biggest pillars of Ramayana, Bajrangbali (Hanuman) was born.

In the Ramayana, Kishkindha was the humble abode of the king of the vanars, Sugriva - the monkey king. The place where Sugriva’s kingdom was established was a cave which later came to be known as Sugriva’s Cave. Sugriva was one of the most ardent supporters of Lord Rama in his quest to save his wife Sita.

Hanuman was the minister of Sugriva’s vanara Kingdom. Bajrangbali Hanuman was born on the top of the hills named Anjanadri Hills. The same hilltop now has a huge temple dedicated to Anjaniputra Hanuman.

Hampi, the heritage city, also houses the Rishimukh island. This island is where Lord Rama is known to have met his ardent devotee, Hanuman. This is where the vanar sena (army of monkeys) was gathered and their King Sugriva was convinced to help Lord Rama in his quest to search for his wife and free her from the clutches of the demon king, Ravana.

To mark the place of their meeting, a place where Lord Rama is known to have taken a few days' shelter before he could continue on his journey to look for his wife Sita, a temple has been built. This temple is dedicated to Rama.

Hampi doesn’t only house a significant portion of the legend of the mythology of the Ramayana but is also the home of many other jaw-dropping legends. Besides Ramayana, one of the most interesting ones is the Hampi Bazaar.

Hampi is dotted with abandoned square or rectangular outline structures joined side by side, that continue on for miles, sometimes as far as the eye can see. It is said that these structures were part of one of the world's biggest bazaar that was held here. Gold and silver were sold here along with other exquisites at cheaper rates than at other places.

If you go to visit the heritage sites in the town, especially the Vittala Temple, you will find that place to be exactly the one you find on the back of our fifty-rupee currency notes. It is the structure inside that temple that has been adopted from and printed on the back of the currency notes.

Hampi is a land surrounded by the legends of the Ramayana. Without it, one of the biggest and most important mythologies of India would have been completely different or wouldn’t have survived to tell the tale. Hampi is one of the true unsung places of Indian mythology without which, Ramayana might not have been true or might not have been the way it is.

Hampi was once the richest town in the country in terms of silver and gold, and now it's one of the richest towns in terms of heritage and architecture.